Ryan Thewes - Architect

-Ryan Thewes - Architect-  

Photo courtesy of Ryan Thewes

Do a google search on the percentage of people who have grown up and are working in the career they dreamed about as children. The average across several studies and surveys is a shocking eighteen percent.

Ryan Thewes is a member of that eighteen percent club. His unique and innovative designs have won multiple awards. He’s been interviewed for various media. His reputation for quality while maintaining an organic, authentic Modern design in every project has received recognition not only the U.S.  but Europe as well. Fortunately for us, he calls Middle Tennessee home. Ryan’s thumbprint can be seen all over Nashville.

He grew up in Southern Indiana with a pencil in his hand, clearly a gifted artist. Early on, he knew art would be his career. Adults encouraged him to be architect. Once he found the connection between drawing and architecture, it became his lifeblood. Ryan says he eats, sleeps, and breathes architecture. Having the opportunity to work with two architects that had worked with Frank Lloyd Wright helped to further develop and perfect the work he does today.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Thewes

How long does a typical design of a home or office building take?

That varies from project to project and client to client. There are some clients that fall in love with the design process and coming up with new solutions. I have a project now that we have been going back and forth for a few years perfecting. Those types of designs always yield the best results. On the flip side of that, there are designs where time is critical and solutions must happen in a matter of 3-4 weeks.

I was impressed you limit your clients so that you can personally work on each project. Do you have or keep a waiting list?

That is true, and yes, I do keep a waiting list. If someone hires me, they expect me to be the sole creator of anything that is produced. Having my name associated with the project, I wouldn’t want it any other way. It is that personal connection with each design that allows for unique and creative solutions for each site and client.

Have there been instances where a client wanted something traditional and your aesthetics have merged into a successful project?

I never want to push my aesthetics on anyone. Any house that I have designed for a client isn’t what I would have necessarily designed for myself and my family. My goal is to find the essence of what each client is attracted to and come up with a new and unique solution that embraces that. I want to produce a timeless design that is free of any classification. So to answer your question, if someone asked for a modern version of a classical home, I would sit down with them and figure out the reason why they are asking for that. What characteristics about the classical home do they like and what characteristics of the modern home do they like? My challenge then would be to come up with a design that combines those ideas into a new and unique form. If done correctly, any house designed today will still feel current and progressive 50 years from now.

If a potential client had an existing structure - say a barn or out-building - and he or she would like to convert into a modern home without losing the integrity of the original building. Is that a project you’d take on?

I always prefer new construction as it is easier to control the quality of the build. One area that I like to focus on is highly energy efficient building. That is much more difficult to do when retrofitting an existing structure.

However, I do take on many projects like that if they fit within my aesthetic. I have a few current projects that are remodels and additions, but they are very special situations.

From Southern Indiana to New Mexico, what drew you to Nashville?

We chose Nashville purely based on location and proximity to my family in Southern Indiana. I needed a larger city to do what I do, so that limited our choices. Specifically, when we moved here, there was almost no modern architecture to speak of. The stuff that was here was done so poorly that it actually scared people away from even considering modern. It was an untapped market where I felt like I could fill a niche.

Other than the office space in Dickson, have you been commissioned to take on other office spaces?

The majority of my projects are residential because clients are willing to take more design risks with their personal homes. I have been fortunate to work on a few commercial projects where clients have trusted my vision. In a space like Dickson, their trust has paid off tremendously. Everybody in town knows that building and their business has grown because of it. It is built-in advertising.

Let’s have some fun; What do you do in your spare time? Hobbies?

Not much spare time these days! Sports (tennis and golf) are what I love to do when given the opportunity. I have always had a love of live music so I attend a lot of concerts. And food – I love to go out to eat.

Favorite TV shows?

I find myself watching less and less TV all the time. These are a few shows that have survived the purge: Flipping Out, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, America’s Got Talent.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs – I am an animal lover but have always had a dog.

Dream vacation?

A local window company took me to Germany last year to visit their manufacturing plant and it was awesome. So my dream vacation right now is seeing more of Europe.

Favorite genre of music and do you listen to it while you work?

I work in silence…. Weird, I know.

But I absolutely love music.

My music tastes would probably be classified as Americana. A little country music (the good country music), alternative, rock, ‘80s, etc. I love creative music and that spans across many genres. Sturgill Simpson, Brent Cobb and Chris Stapleton have monopolized the CD player in my car now for a really long time. I annoy my family because I will put in a CD and listen to it on repeat for months – or until the next obsession comes along.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Thewes

One could binge-watch all the home improvement type shows and look at a few google images, and think there’s not much when it comes to home design. Through research of architecture and talking with Ryan, I’ve learned there is a creative element, a specific eye and talent to get the end-products we see around us today.

In 2016, Build Magazine awarded Ryan with Modern Design Firm of the Year – Southern USA & Best Tennessee Residential Project: Sharp Cabin. By looking at the cabin and reading the specifics on it, the awards are well deserved.

Visit Ryan’s website to view more stunning pictures of his exquisite work.

Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google + and Houzz to chat, keep up-to-date on projects and much more. 

Written By Heather Clift:

[Heather Clift is an award-winning writer with a passion for all things Southern. Small town life, observational humor, and dark themes are her favorite subjects. Her short stories have been published in a variety of anthologies and magazines.  She became a contributor for Live, Laugh, Love Nashville specifically to connect with small business owners feeling privileged to showcase the heart, soul, and talent of those in and around the Nashville area. In her spare time, Heather enjoys binging on Netflix, making to-do lists, and grammatically correcting memes. For a peek of her fun side, you can find her on Instagram or Twitter, bragging on her kids, defending the Oxford comma, or posting signs with rogue apostrophes. She is currently working on her first novel.]

Ashwood Estates

Ashwood Estates Apothecary Naturals, once a tiny seed planted early in life, bloomed and grew to the success it is today. “Our relationship and my business both began on Ashwood Avenue,” Bari writes.

Devoted to a wholly organic lifestyle, founder Bari Marley believes in the balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Keeping that balance thrives not only on the products we use but how they are made. A master herbal mixologist and essential oil expert, Bari uses the depth of her knowledge to create a wealth of products – for the whole family and home.

Imagine relaxing at the end of a long day using the bath salt mix, Detox. Or treating your skin to Drench Body Butter. Clean It Up is a multi-purpose spray to clean, disinfect, and degrease. Every product available carefully designed for purpose, and contains only organic, sustainable plants found in nature. The labels list the ingredients and are easily recognizable. Remember the secret but miracle working salve that seemed to cure “all that ails you” recommended by our grandmothers or great-grandmothers? There’s a science behind those – using only naturally-occurring components.

Ashwood Estates Apothecary Naturals is locally owned and operated in Nashville. One of the most popular products, the Healing Salve, was one of the distinguished items included in this year’s CMT Music Awards Artist swag bag.

The entire line of products is available to purchase in the online store. The gorgeous design of the labels on the dark brown containers or silver tins give a nod to an earlier time.

For those local to Nashville, Ashwood Estates does offer free local pick- up at Pia's Antiques on 8th Avenue where Bari also works.

There’s no secret when it comes to Bari’s success. The proof is in each handmade creation.

Check out the amazing products of Ashwood Estates Apothecary Naturals online and like the Facebook page to keep up with current news and events.

Written by Heather Clift for Live Laugh Love Nashville's Small Business Saturday piece.

Escape Experience

Escape Experience

Nashville

Do you love to solve puzzle? Work better on a tight deadline? How about creating your dream team where you are locked in a room and challenged to escape in sixty minutes or less?

Escape Experience Nashville is your ultimate destination, and was nominated for best Escape Game in the U.S. by "USA Today" in 2016. Spencer Rowland, one of the owners of Escape Experience, was nice enough to invite us over to the Nashville location, at 501 Union Street, try to escape. We didn't escape, we did however have a great time and will definitely be going back to try again!  We were also able to briefly interview Spencer, here’s what he had to say:

What is the most popular experience chosen?

It's hard to pin point one experience that people like the most. People have always had a fascination with busting out of prison so a lot of people love C-Block for that reason along with the mug shots before hand. For those who love a challenge (and the Back to the Future series), The Inheritance is the favorite. And if you're into a more physical/intense experience, Vaccine is a must do. 

Are there other experiences, maybe for the future? Chattanooga has The Bunker coming soon.

Absolutely, yes. Our Chattanooga location is finalizing The Bunker which we believe will be the most immersive and expansive escape room in the country. In Nashville, we have just started development on our fourth experience. We are not ready to release the theme or story line on it yet but if you're a fan of the movie Memento, get excited.

Has any one group escaped all three experiences?

Yes. The escape room industry has developed a hard core enthusiast community around it which has been fun to watch emerge. Within it, people band together to form teams where they go around the country/world to face off against escape rooms. We've had teams come through many times and do all three of our experiences back to back to back. Several have escaped all three. One of these teams currently has two of our existing records (C-Block and The Inheritance) and narrowly missed the record for Vaccine.

How do you come up with the ideas for new experiences?

A lot of our design is scratching our own itch. We start with what we would like to see ourselves in an escape room and build a story and narrative from there. Once we have a story line in place, we begin to build the environment in which it unfolds. Within that environment, we try to stuff as many puzzles, challenges and surprises as possible to make a truly memorable experience. We believe this design flow fosters the development of what is most important in an escape room - environmental authenticity and immersive story telling.

How long does it take to pull an experience together from start to finish?

Our design team is a stickler for detail so a lot of thought and effort is put into each experience. Typically, the complete development of an experience takes about three months. However, we're getting better at streamlining production which has allowed us to be more efficient. To counter that, we are always upping the complexity and technological innovation of each new experience which adds time to the development process.

What do you want people to know prior to starting an experience?

As little as possible. The surprises and spontaneity of our experiences is what make them such a blast. If you're new to escape rooms, be prepared to have your mind blown.

How long have you been located in Nashville?

My brother, cousin and I (owners) have lived most our lives in the Nashville area. We opened the doors to the Escape Experience - Nashville in February of 2016.

Whether you are looking for a venue for a team building event, an amazing activity for a birthday party, or just a challenging but unforgettable outing in Nashville, Escape Experience is prepared to meet all of your expectations.

Do you have what it takes? How well do you really work under pressure? You have only one hour. The countdown starts in 5…4…3….

Escape Experience Nashville is located at 501 Union Street. Reservations may be made online or calling (615) 891-7929.

Follow on Facebook, Twitter , and Instagram. Visit their website for photos, FAQs, and Experience descriptions.

Written by Heather Clift for Live Laugh Love Nashville

Alexander's Catering and Café 15

The first definition of cater is to provide food and drinks, typically in a social setting, in a professional manner. Take that one step further; to cater is to accommodate and satisfy one’s needs.

Alexander’s Catering in Nashville encompasses and exquisitely solidifies the definition of cater and will exceed your expectations regardless of your event. From a boxed meal for a working lunch to an elegant, plated affair, Alexander’s Catering specializes in accommodating a variety of tastes from around the globe. Gluten-free, vegan and other dietary requests are also available. 

At the heart of this family-owned and operated dining experience are Stephanie [Kissleburg] and Alex [Griffin]. Meeting one another in the late ‘90s while working in a Nashville restaurant, this perfect pairing set the stage for their purchase of the company in 2004 after the birth of their son. The next course was, “to move into the Nashville City Center building in 2005 shortly after Metro moved to make improvements to the John Henry Hale housing area near Charlotte and 13th Ave. There is now a large community garden visible from the freeway where our kitchen once was,” Stephanie writes.

With over thirty years of culinary excellence, Alexander’s Catering services the Nashville/Davidson County area and other surrounding counties.

You can get a taste of Alexander’s daily. Quietly tucked away, but conveniently located on the 15^th floor of the Nashville City Center is Café 15.

When asked about this secret-but-not-really club-like hot spot, Stephanie’s passion glows. “It’s quite humble, but I'm really proud of the quality, price, and service we offer. We prep everything fresh each day, and I think we owe our twelve year success to that ethic.”

Get your day off to a start with something from the rotating breakfast menu of hot breakfast sandwiches. Maybe Waffle Wednesday or Big Breakfast Friday will hit the spot.

Need a mid-day pick me up? Drop into Café 15 for their hot lunch buffet, or a fresh salad and deli-style sandwich.

Café 15 is open Monday thru Friday from 7a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fun fact: Stephanie is half-Icelandic. Customers traveling to Iceland have had the opportunity to meet her family. (You can, too. Just ask her.)

***

Nothing brings people together like good food. Alexander’s Catering completes the experience.

Follow them on Facebook and Yelp and check out their Website to see the daily menu.

Written 5-12-17 by Heather Clift for Live Laugh Love Nashville - Small Business Saturday

Doghaus Productions - Sam Pita

Doghaus Productions - Sam Pita

There’s more than country music in Nashville. Just ask Sam Pita of Doghaus Productions. “There is an incredibly diverse scene full of rock n roll, singer-songwriters, electronic music, rap, soul, bluegrass, I mean, I've really heard it ALL,” she writes.

Doghaus Productions is a full-service music company located in East Nashville. Sam Pita, owner/engineer, made Nashville her permanent home after growing up in Boca Raton, Florida and attending college in Philadelphia. “I experienced all four seasons for the first time. I loved it. I feel like experiencing life in different parts of the country has shaped me for the better and is a big part of who I am. I know how to slow down and live in the moment.”

BREAKING NEWS:

Sam, and Doghaus productions has started a new series,  "East Nashville Sessions", that will feature local artists playing in local or unusual places in the neighborhood. I want to be able to allow people to be able to discover new places and music this way. If any businesses want to participate as a location, feel free to reach out to her!  The next video will come out next month, shot on the patio of Beast Pub.

Recently featured as Nashville's popular radio station Lightning 100's Local Artist of the Week, Diamond Carter is making waves. With his honest lyrics and raw voice, he can make you cry just by picking up a guitar. Here he is singing his song "Santa Cruz" in Sam's house in East Nashville (You can even hear his pup, Rita, cry for attention in the beginning of the video).

Diamond Carter is doing a "Live at 5" show tomorrow "Sunday" on Facebook live, via his Facebook page.

Why ‘Doghaus Productions?’

It took me a long time to think of a name for my company that I would actually like... I came up with Daughaus Productions because a lot of my most favorite, laid-back recording sessions have taken place in studios in people's sheds, garages, bedrooms, etc. I love that people can figure out how to create an authentic, awesome sound pretty much anywhere nowadays with the right equipment and brains behind it. My music production company is also sort of homegrown and spun out of the Nashville DIY scene, so I thought the idea of a ‘dog house’ kind of encompassed that idea... the idea that something built in your own backyard can be full of love, creativity, and passion.

Fan-girl moment

While I was a college student, I interned at Milkboy the Studio. It's a beautiful sounding studio that a lot of famous musicians have used. One time Patti LaBelle was recording vocals there. I got to meet her briefly and I definitely fan-girled (on the inside... I kept cool on the outside). She was just so sweet and kind and gracious. There were a few not-so-nice celebrities that I encountered... so I really appreciate when "big" stars like Patti are just normal, down-to-earth people.

Cue the goats

I play guitar. I dabble in piano and took some lessons here and there growing up, but I forgot most of it. I'd like to learn the violin but I hear you sound like dying mountain goats for a while until you get good. That's kinda terrifying. But you're supposed to do what terrifies you, right?

Sam beautifully describes recording music as painting, creating images with sound as the color. She became obsessed when she was younger, not expecting to make it a career until she was accepted into the prestigious Drexel University.

Since college through the inception of Doghaus Productions, Sam’s portfolio reads like a who’s- who in the music industry. She has lived, eaten, and breathed the music scene in two major cities and been introduced and worked alongside some of the top-players in the industry Her talent and professionalism shines; moreover, she is absolutely personable and wickedly funny.

Visit the website to catch a glimpse of Doghaus Productions at work as well as a list of services she and her team provide.

Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Written 5-6-17 by Heather Clift for Live Laugh Love Nashville - Small Business Saturday

Pet Wants Nashville: Shawna Cohen

Type ‘healthy food for dogs’ or some derivative of the subject into any search engine, and you’ll have several million links for your browsing pleasure.

When Shawna Cohen looked for alternate options for Enzo after a bout of undiagnosed health issues, she stumbled onto the ideals of cooking actual, whole food. Finding some success led her to educate other pet parents on the benefits of homemade food. She quickly outgrew her home kitchen and needed something on a bigger scale.

Opening a store would mean sharing her passion and mission for healthy living on an even larger scale. Enter Pet Wants. Ready for a big adventure, Shawna packed up her life in New Mexico and headed to Nashville.

I recently interviewed Shawna, intrigued with Nashville’s new and hip residents:

I read on the About page of your website you learned of Pet Wants and decided to leave New Mexico to come to Nashville. Why Nashville?

The one and only reason I chose Nashville was because it was the only city I knew someone in and by that, it really was just one person!

I had lived in Phoenix, Arizona and South Dakota and did know people there, but knew I didn't want to live in either of those places again - so Nashville it was!  After doing research and seeing what a dog- friendly city along with so many events and festivals for dogs made the choice even easier!  Also, learning what was happening in East Nashville with all the renovations and being the new and up-and-coming area of Nashville and such a welcoming pet community, I knew this would be a great location for the store.

I love that you have a delivery service for your products. You are quite possibly the only shop in this area doing this.

When I was in the midst of trying to figure out how to start a pet food business, delivery was something I wanted to incorporate. I knew it would be a great convenience and incentive for people. The delivery service is part of the Pet Wants Model. We had a choice of doing just a mobile delivery service or retail store with delivery.

Being that I'm the only Pet Wants in Nashville, I can deliver anywhere I want. My limit is about 40-45 minutes – about a 50 mile radius.  As it is now, I go to Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Hermitage, Madison, Inglewood, Smyrna, Bellevue, Green Hills, West Nashville, East Nashville, and any areas that are close to those cities. I will expand the area even more as business progresses.

A lot of pet parents (myself included) may think that good, whole food for our pets is priced high. But your prices are in-line with the major national brands. How are you able to keep your prices so low?

Our prices are just below the most premium brands and obviously higher than the lowest so we try to stay comparable without devaluing our premium ingredients and most of all, the freshness of the food.

What helps us stay competitive is that Pet Wants is its own brand of food that is manufactured specifically for and sent directly to us right from the plant rather than going through other distribution companies. 

It is a small, family-owned manufacturing plant that doesn't manufacture pet food for too many other companies. 

Being that it is made only once a month with limited ingredients cooked in smaller batches allows the ingredients to be fresher and most of the ingredients, with the exception of our proteins, are locally sourced as much as possible to cut down on costs.

Being a part of Pet Wants is also about the passion of our pets and being able to provide a superior product at an affordable price.

Shawna is warm and inviting. Her passion for healthy living for all members of the family shines through. She resides in Nashville with her first love, Enzo, and Shelby, both Husky mixes rescued in New Mexico.

Pet Foods Nashville is conveniently located at 962 Woodland St. and is open seven days a week. Food for cats and dogs, as well as a variety of supplements, bones and treats are available.

Find her online and Facebook.

Written 4-13-2017 by Heather Clift for Live Laugh Love Nashville - Feature Friday